Marjorie Blackman - Noughts and Crosses Trilogy

[Yummiemummie]

For me it has less to do with their 'Reading age' and more to do with their Emotional age. I don't like banning books either, but if the books are recommended for older readers because of their content we tend to use that as a guideline. My son thoroughly enjoyed the Cherub series when he read them in Year 8. One of the issues is that books such as Noughts and Crosses/Cherub always have such a prominent space in book shops/libraries etc, they are extremely well marketed. There are other fantastic children's books out there, but takes a bit of digging around to find them.

[Tailsmo]

I'm also not a fan of the JW books, although I do understand how they are very helpful for some children going through the issues she writes about. DD has a few, but I do vet them for content. I wouldn't buy one that was about pysically abusive father, for example.

You're quite right too, Yummie, marketing does seem to be everything. I wonder about the longevity of some of these titles. Will we see our DCs in years to come on EPE discussing 11+ reading lists with some of the new titles on there, or will it still be the classics we read as children and try to get our children to read?

[DenDe]

I have had similar dilemmas over books for my older DC (both Yr 7) My daughter wanted to read the Twilight series last year when I read them. I hesitated, not really because there was any unsuitable content but because I felt she would enjoy them much more as a teenager. I gave in a few months ago because all her friends were reading them (same old pressure) and she read the whole series in a matter of weeks. She has since read all the Cherub series which I was equally unsure about.

The trouble is, they both choose books fron the "teen" and "young adult" section at the library because anything else is too young in style but then they are obviously going to come aross content that isn't perhaps suitable for a 12 year old.

What is the answer?

[la boume]

JW lives in our neighbourhood! seeing her from time to time. I enjoyed her autobiography, as she described lot's of local places, schools etc. DD was really into JW books while in years 3/4/5. My favorite one is "Midnight", i think it is an absolutely beautiful story. But I said "No" to "Illustrated mum", for example, and some others.

[DenDe]

DD stopped reading a JW book (The one about a girl who has died) when she was younger because she said it was too sad.

[scary mum]

I've just come to this thread late. DD also had this book (or at least the first one) on her reading list in year 7. She is an avid reader and will read almost anything but didn't take to this. I was quite surprised about some of the things on their reading list in year 7 (some quite bad language), but I suppose they are going to come across it in the playgroung anyway

[phaedra]

While agreeing that it is a family's decision to choose when to introduce certain themes, I would prefer they were introduced early and by clear-thinking, intelligent authors than by other children as I like to have discussed most things early and before embarrrassment sets in so that misinformation is minimized.

I am also interested that a well-written, engaging story of teenage love and societal prejudice, handled with sensitivity, is considered too much, while Anne Frank's real life situation - incarcerated in a tiny space with numerous others, dependent upon visitors for food, forced to be silent and still and always fearful for her life is not. and if you even begin to explore with your children what happened to her and millions of other Jews; the views of those who caused their destruction and the fact that erstwhile friedns and neighbours were unwilling or unable to speak up for them....well I know which I think will wake a thoughtful child at night.

[Tailsmo]

Hi Phaedra. Yes, I can see your point, but I personally didn't think part 3 of the Blackman trilogy (which I've now finished reading) is an engaging story of teenage love. I haven't read part 1 or 2, so I cannot comment on those two.

Part 3 is about how a girl's family try to shield her from what her father was, whilst her estranged uncle tries to turn her against her family by recruiting her to a terrorist group (or freedom fighter group, depending on your viewpoint) with the aim of getting her to be a suicide bomber. The girl grows up to be a damaged young person because she feels unloved and estranged from everyone in a disfunctional society.

I'm sure these themes are valuable, but my original post was whether this was suitable reading material (both in terms of the themes and the language used to ilustrate these themes) for a 10 year old, not whether teenagers should read it.

Having now read the book, I've explained to my DD why I don't want her to read it yet, and she has accepted my viewpoint.

[Fran17]

I think you made a wise decision Tailsmo. All three of my sons read the Noughts and Crosses Trilogy when they were 12 or 13. My youngest completed the series in the summer and he is 12. All three thoroughly enjoyed the books.

[phaedra]

I hadn't read part three and in any case didn't mean to sound as if I was criticising your decision.

I am a little oversensitive to questions about censorship, having taught English in a variety of countries and having been subjected to some very weird objections to books read by the class and placed in school libraries. I once had a written complaint about a Biff and Chip book, where the horse ate fermenting apples and was a little drunk as it was considered a poor example! that was the funniest but not the worst!